Congrats to achievers and their teachers

THE EDITOR: May I add my congratulations to the high achievers in the recent Cambridge A Level Examin-ations and to the dedicated teachers at the mainly “prestige schools” which they attended. The students obviously come from supportive families and it would be interesting to have more on the primary education which they received — since nobody reaches the top of a ladder without having taken each careful step before. Teaching at the primary level requires innovation. It must encourage curiosity, questioning and problem solving to produce education of quality.

In my opinion a student entering Training College or going straight into the teaching service with a minimum of Grade 3 (as permitted by the Ministry of Education) is hardly going to be qualified for this. We should be giving these young children graduate teachers who have been exposed to the innovative techniques being developed in the School of Education at UWI. Could a system be introduced whereby students interested in becoming teachers be afforded full/part scholarships in return for guaranteeing a number of years in the education system? Of course on completion their salaries would have to be commensurate with their qualifications. Perhaps then teaching could once again be a profession to be proud of.

JOAN KENNY
Port-of-Spain